The Highs and Lows of Parenting

Motherhood with a toddler has been more than exhausting lately. Our youngest is 2 and has been throwing temper tantrums, challenging every thing we ask her to do, and is determined to do exactly what she wants to do when she wants to do it. Then you can throw in a back-talking, sassy and strong willed eight year old that is going on sixteen, and our five year old who is so exhausted from school she can’t even think straight, and all these things make for a constant struggle bus. These seasons of motherhood are beyond exhausting and so difficult. It is so hard to not the difficult things define your days. It is so hard to remember God’s grace and to show that grace to our children. Some days there is not enough time in the day or enough coffee, praying and wine. Lol.

“Discipline is an act of love. Discipline can be positive.”- Dr. Meg Meeker

One of the biggest struggles I have is discipline and doing it in a way that teaches them. So many times my beautiful, wonderful children push my buttons in all the wrong ways. They know how to get under my skin in ways others can’t. It is so hard to not react out of my own frustrations and anger. There have been countless times I have lost it and yelled at my kids or have spanked them when they didn’t deserve it. It is completely true that each child has to be disciplined in a way that benefits them. What works for our oldest definitely does not work for our middle. I did not realize the effects of me yelling at my kids for things they have done until our oldest started yelling at her sisters or me out of anger and frustration one day. This is when I had to admit my wrongs to our daughter and to teach her through discipline how to handle her anger and frustrations. Parenting is one of the most humbling experiences I have ever endured. I am very stubborn, and it is hard for me to admit when I am wrong, but it is so important to teach our children to be able to admit their wrongs and to learn from them. This is the one aspect of parenting that is the most difficult for me. I am constantly trying to better myself and to pray for God to guide me and for His wisdom to bless me in my parenting.

“God’s idea isn’t that we should give and receive love but that we could actually become love.” Bob Goff

Our children are going to drive us absolutely insane. They are going to do things that disappoint us. They are going to do/say things that make us angry and hurt us. We are to love them anyways. We are to nurture them and raise them in love the way that God loves us even after all the mistakes we have made. At times He gives us some tough love and makes us go through some valleys, but He disciplines us from a place of love. This is something that I have been working on with my girls, to not make every wrong thing that they do a negative experience. Yes they did something wrong, but I want to teach them and help them learn and grow from these mistakes. It definitely takes a lot more time and can be very mentally exhausting, but in the end it will be worth it. It is harder to do the right thing than to take the easy way out. Raising these tiny humans to grow up to be loving, kind, humble, giving and overall good people is not an easy job. It is definitely a lot of trial and error. It will knock you down many times more than you can count but get back up and try again. Ask God to guide you in your role as their mother, teach them about His word, and how it applies to their life. Having God at the center of your home and a focus in your parenting changes the way you see and interact with your children. I can honestly tell when I have strayed to far from Him, and it effects my overall life. When God is at the center I am filled with more grace and mercy towards my children, because at the end of the day they are kids and they are going to make mistakes. If we can teach our children through discipline with compassion, love, humility, and self control, we are loving them and teaching them in the way God intended.

“Train up a child in the way he should go; Even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

XOXO